A Stranger's Kiss

telephone directory. ‘Fine. Get me—’ But Beth hadn’t waited to hear what she wanted. The door closed with a bang. Tara looked up, exasperated. ‘Well, thanks...’ The words died on her lips as she saw Adam standing in the doorway.
    ‘I believe that is what is known as a strategic withdrawal.’ He flicked the lock.
    ‘What do you want, Adam?’
    ‘Is that any way to greet someone bearing gifts?’
    ‘I don’t want any gifts from you.’
    He perched on the edge of her desk, not in the least put out by the sharpness of her tongue. ‘But this isn’t from me.’ He produced a small box from his pocket and an envelope. ‘It came by courier this morning. All the way from Bahrain.’
    He handed her the small leather covered jeweller’s box. She looked up at him, puzzled. ‘What is this?’
    It was his turn to be sharp. ‘Open it and see.’
    She pressed the catch. On the bed of velvet nestled a pair of creamy pearl ear studs. ‘Oh, how beautiful.’ He took the box from her hand and examined the contents.
    ‘Yes. A pair of pearls, matched for colour and size. Quite exquisite. From the Bahrain pearl beds of course.’ He regarded her with wintry eyes. ‘Hanna has excellent taste. They will suit you perfectly.’ He handed them back to her. ‘Try them on.’
    ‘Hanna sent them for me?’
    ‘The letter was sealed, but I took an educated guess. Who else could it be?’
    ‘You didn’t steam it open to make certain?’ She snapped the box shut. ‘I don’t want his letter and I don’t want his pearls. Send them back.’
    His lip curled slightly. ‘There’s no need to be so dramatic. It’s simply his way of apologising.’
    ‘I don’t need his apology. As you took so much trouble to point out, I had no one but myself to blame for what happened. Send them back,’ she repeated, stubbornly.
    ‘I can’t do that, Tara. If I send them back he will simply assume that I never gave them to you.’
    ‘And that matters to you?’
    ‘I may have mixed feelings about the man, but he is a brilliant money broker. For the moment we are partners in raising funds for my latest project.’
    ‘I’m afraid that’s your problem. I don’t want them.’
    He smiled slightly and stood up. ‘You could always sell them. The money would make a quite a dent in your overdraft.’
    ‘What do you know about my overdraft?’ she demanded.
    ‘I didn’t know anything. But your reaction tells me plenty.’
    ‘Adam!’ she protested, as he moved to leave. ‘You can’t leave these here.’
    But he had already opened the door, carefully replacing the catch. ‘Consider it a bonus, Tara. After all, you clearly earned it on your visit to the beach pavilion. I’m sorry I misunderstood the scene in the summer house. If I hadn’t interrupted you would surely have had the necklace to match.’
    She flung the stapler at his head but too late. He had already gone. It bounced harmlessly off the wall and fell to the floor.
    Beth bent and picked it up as she returned, replacing it on the desk without comment. ‘I bought you cream cheese and smoked salmon. You look as if you could do with a treat.’
    ‘Bribery will get you nowhere, Beth Lawrence. How dare you skip out like that and leave me alone with him!’
    Beth had the grace to blush. ‘I’m sorry, but he didn’t look as if he wanted an audience.’
    Tara sighed. ‘No. I don’t suppose he did.’ She opened the envelope. There was a small certificate from the jeweller guaranteeing the authenticity of the pearls, and a note.
    Hanna had been brief. “Forgive me, beautiful Tara. I did not understand. Hanna.”
    She picked up her pen and wrote simply, “Forgiven. Tara.” Then she called an international courier service and sent the pearls back.
    * * *
    Mary Ogden, white lipped and quivering with indignation, came into the office just after three the next day. ‘I’m sorry, Tara. I did my best, but that man is impossible to work for.’
    Tara’s heart sank. ‘You’ve left Mr Blackmore?’
    ‘My ability has never been questioned before.’
    ‘I’m sorry, Mary. I know he’s not the easiest man in the world to work for and I — er — believe he’s been under some strain recently. But I really thought you would have been able to cope.’
    ‘Of course I could have coped. I simply asked him to slow down a little when he was dictating.’ She assumed a look of injured dignity. ‘He said his last secretary could keep up with him!’ She made a noise that suggested